Whiffletree attachment for horse-cars



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

I (No Model.)

- L. PPINGST.

WH IFFLETREE ATTACHMENT FOR HORSE CARS.

Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

lull-rm loll? (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. PFI'NGST. WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT FOR HORSE CARS.

No. 393,922. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

y/ZIIIIIIIIIII UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIC LOUIS PFINGST, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT FOR HORSE-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,922, dated December 4, 1888.

Application filed August 18, 1888. $erial No. 283,129. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS PFINGST, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Whiffietrees and \Vhiffletree Attachments, of'which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view of a doubletree and bracket nowin ordinary use; 2, a like view showing a pole in ordinary use provided with a doubletree and bracket; Fig. 3, an elevation of my improved doubletree detached and enlarged; 4, a side elevation of a pole provided with my improvement in position for use on a car, the

.doubletree being shown in vertical section and the pole as broken away; Fig. 5, a top plan view of the pole, the 'doubletrees being shown as broken off; Fig. 6, a top plan View of the adjustable bracket-arm detached and enlarged; Fig. 7, a vertical longitudinal sec- .tion of the same; and Figs. 8, 9, and 10, sectional views showing certain details of construction.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of whiffletrees and whifiletree attachments which are particularly adapted for use on horsecars; and it consists in certain novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a cheaper and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use. V

' The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all con- Versant with such matters from the following e My. downwardly-promoting arm, f, having a slot,

g, in its end adapted to receive and bear against the ordinary brace-rod, h, of the co upling B, said arms being connected by a vertical brace, i, and designed to support the whiffletree.

The doubletree D is centrally pivoted on top of the front end of the arm I) by means of a pin, k, which passes through an arm, I, secured to the arm I). A singletree, m, is pivoted on the upper side of the doubletree D at each end thereof.

\Vhen it becomes necessary to use four horses, as during the winter months, a pole, C, (see Fig. 2,) is employed, the bracket E being secured to the rear end thereof, and a segment, H, provided with teeth p, pivoted to the vertical brace i in such manner that said teeth will engage the brace-rod 72 and assist in preventing the pole from moving or slatting laterally.

The doubletree D is pivoted on the upper side of the pole in an arm, 1, and is provided with singletrees m at its ends. The pole has a leader-hook, K, on its forward end to receive the doubletree of the lead horses.

\Vhen constructed as above described, there isan unnecessary wear on the slot 9 of the arm f, thereby increasing the depth of said slot and allowing the forward end of the pole to fall too far downward, thus necessitating frequently replacing the arm f. Moreover, by pivoting the whiffletrees in the manner described, as a strain is exerted upon them by the horses the constant tendency is to pull downward, which greatly increases the eX- pen (liture of power necessary to draw the load,

My invention is designed to obviate these and other objections, and to that end I make use of means which will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following: I

In my improvement the doubletree D is constructed of two parallel arms, 15 and 25,

centrally secured in a metallic casting, 35, pro:

vided in its forward end with a vertical bolthole, 45, and having its rear end extended upward and downward (see Fig. 4) to form wearing-surface and protect the body of said doubletree. tween the ends of the arms 15 and 2510f the doubletree. r I The bracket E consists of a body portion, 65, provided with an opening, 75, (see Fig. at) through which the doubletree passes and in IQO Singletrees 55 are pivoted"be which it is pivoted by means of a bolt, 85, passing through said body and the bolt-hole 45 in the casting 355. Projecting rearwardly from the body portion ti5,and formed integral therewith, is an arm, 95, (see Figs. 5 and 10,) provided in its end with a hole, 14, adapted to receivethe coupling-pin G. In the forward end of the body portion 435 is formed a vertical dovetail groove, 24, (see Fig. 10,) adapted to receive an end of the pole t, as hereinafter described. The forward portion of the body 05 is slotted horizontally at 3t (see Figs. 8 and (J) on each side of the groove it to adapt it to receive a l l l l 1 ceive a coupling-pin and having an opening wear-plate, H, provided interiorly with flanges 1 5t, fitted to enter said slots and detachably secure said plate thereto. A downwardly and rearwardly projecting arm, (34, (see Fig. 4,) is bolted at 7t to the under side of the body portion 05, the rear end of said arm. being flattened (see Figs. ti and 7) and provided with a longitudinal slot, 84, the under sideof said flattened portion being provided with serrations 9t. nected by a vertically-arranged brace, 22 plate, 33, (see Figs. t; and 7,) is provided on one end with a fork, I35, adapted to receive Z the brace-bar 7b of the coupling 13, said plate having a longitudinal groove, 53, to receive the flattened end of the arm tit, and withlaterally arranged serrations 71- within said groove, adapted to engage the teeth (It on said arm. A bolt, 83 passes upward through the plate 233 and through the slot St in the arm 64, a lock-nut, 03, disposed on the upper end of said bolt, securing said plate in position on said arm.

The pole C is provided on its rear end with a metallic plate, 10, having a vertically-arranged dovetail, 26, (see Fig. 5,) adapted to enter the dovetail groove it in the bracket E, whereby said pole is sustained in a horizontal position. The forward end of the pole isprovided with a forked plate, 236, in which the doubletree I) may he pivoted, as shown in Fig. I.

In the use of my improvement, when a single pair of horses is employed, the doubletree D is pivoted in the body portion 05 of the bracket E by the bolt 35 and the bracket adjusted on the car in the usual manner. It will readily be seen that the draft by this ar rangement of the doubletree and singletrees is central on the load, and that all tendency to pull downward and wear on the arm ti-l is obviated. By adjusting the bolt 93 in the slot 8 1 the flattened portion of the arm (54 can be readily moved forward or backward in the groove 53 of the plate 333, and thereby vertically adjust the body portion of the bracket E, as desired, the serrations ill and 7f preventing said arm from slipping when strain is exerted 011 said body in a manner that will be readily understood without a more explicit description. \Vhu it becomes necessary to employ four horses, the pole C can be quickly adjusted in the bracket by means of its dovetail 26 and a doubletree pivoted in its forl in its body portion for receiving a doubletree and a rearwardly-projecti11g serrated arm, in combination with a forked plate adapted to bear against the brace-bar of a coupler and provided with a serrated groove in which said serrated arm may be adjusted, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the character described, an adjustable bracket provided with an opening in its body portion for receiving a double- The arms 95 and tit are con- A tree and with a vertical dovetail groove in its forward end, in combination with a pole pro- 1 vided with a dovetail plate adapted to enter said groove and support said pole in a horizontal position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the character described, the bracket l provided with the opening for receiving a doubletree, the arm 95, having the hole It for re '*eiving a coupling-pin, and the arm tit, provided with the slot 34: and serrations 94-, in combination with the plate 233, having the fork t and groove 53, provided with the serrations 7i and the bolt 82 disposed in said plate and slot, whereby said bracket may be vertically :uljusted, substan tially as set forth.

4. In a device of the character described, the pole t, provided with the forked plate 3H, and plate lti, having the vertical dovetail 21;, in. combination with the doubletree l), and bracket E, provided with the dovetail groove 24, substantially as described.

In a device of the character described, the wear-plate 44-, provided with the flanges 54, in combination with the bracket l l, having the horizontal grooves 34, and vertical dovetail groove 24, adapted to receive the dovetail end of the pole substantially as set forth.

(3. In a device of the character described, the doubletree I), disposed in the casting 2 5, provided with the bolt-hole l5, and the singletrees 55, pivoted between the arms of said doubletree, in combination with the bracket E, having the opening 75, for receiving said doubletree, and provided with the arm 95, hav ing the hole 14, the arm 64, having the slot 84 and serrations 94, the plate 33, provided with the fork 43, groove 53, and serrations 73, the bolt 83, and the car A, provided with the coupling B, substantially as set forth.

LOUIS PFINGST.

\Vitnesses:

HELEN M. FEEGAN, O. M. SHAW. 

